Summary of “Website Development Platforms – Which is Best?”

When you want to create a website for your organization, discussing website development platforms may sound a little intimidating. Don’t worry! Check out this easy to understand video by Mark Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com to understand more about website development platforms and which is best for you.

How to Choose a Website Development Platform:

Start with a needs assessment.The first thing you need to do is determine your needs for the website. Ask yourself what you want your site to be able to do for your organization. Do you want a blog, online registration, or a shopping cart? Not all platforms can handle the same functionality, so you need to know what you want your site to do before you select a platform.

Consider the software.If the software is going to be desktop-based, you are going to be very limited in updating your website. This is because changes can only be made from the computer that has the software installed on it. Software that is online is the recommended choice. This allows changes to be made from any device, including tablets and smart phones, as long as they have access to the internet.

Is the software proprietary?Proprietary software means that your hosting company owns the rights to the software and that software is only available on their servers. So. if you ever wanted to change web hosts, you would not be able to take your website with you.

What is the ease of use?You can go online and find reviews of the software. If you find numerous reviews that state the software is complicated to use, you may want to keep looking.

Our Recommendation:

At the time of writing this article, we generally recommend using WordPress as your website development platform. WordPress is not proprietary, it is web-based, and it’s easy to use. Additionally, WordPress is quite versatile and a good designer familiar with WordPress should be able to provide just about any functionality you need.

At OurChurch.Com, we would be happy to talk to you about web design. Complete the form below and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your goal and mission online!

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Summary of “How Long Does Web Design and Development Take?”

One of the most popular questions Mark Steinbrueck, of OurChurch.Com, hears is “How soon can my website be done?” Which makes sense, because once you’ve decided to create a website for your organization, you want to launch it as soon as possible. In this helpful video, Mark shares some inside tips on how long it takes for web design and development.

4 Factors That Determine How Long Web Design and Development Take:

1. Is it a custom or pre-existing design?Custom web designs are going to take longer to build compared to a site that uses a pre-existing design. The benefit to a custom site is that you can have more flexibility in what your site can offer. A custom site is also going to be unique to your organization.

2. How many revisions are provided?Each revision is going to add about a week to the total time of your project. Usually two or three revisions can be expected. You want to make sure you are happy with your site before it goes live!

3 Who is entering the content?If you are able to enter the content, you may be able to save some time. Also the number of pages needed for your site will affect the time.

4. What is the developer and client response time?At OurChurch.Com, our goal is to respond to a request in one business day. Usually our turnaround is faster than that, and we can respond in a few hours! The client response time also affects the total time of the project. We understand that in many cases, the website development of your organization isn’t your main priority, so we understand if it takes you a day or two to get back to us. We will work with you to get your site completed as fast as possible!

If you are ready to get started on creating your website, please complete the form below and request a free consultation. We’d love to hear from you and help you achieve your online goals as fast as possible!

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]]>Website Maintenance – Can I do It or Should I Pay Someone?http://www.ourchurch.com/design/articles/website-maintenance-can-i-do-it-or-should-i-pay-someone/
Fri, 06 Dec 2013 16:00:16 +0000http://www.ourchurch.com/design/articles/?p=283

Summary of “Website Maintenance – Can I do It or Should I Pay Someone?”

Once your site has been designed and gone live, it is not the end of the story. Now you will need someone to maintain it. Visitors will be coming to back to check for new information, which means you need someone to be continually updating your site. Also, software frequently needs to be updated for security. So, a common question about website maintenance is “Can I do it or should I pay someone?”. Good question! To find out the answer, check out this great video by Mark Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com!

Why do it yourself?Maintaining the website yourself will take time, but it will save you money. You can also update your site immediately, as opposed to waiting on your developer to do it. In some cases it can take up to a week for developers to make the change you are requesting!

Why hire someone?If you, or someone in your organization, does not have the time or the desire to update it, you may want to think about hiring someone to maintain your site. However, at OurChurch.Com, we recommend that you start by updating it yourself and see how it goes.

Other issues to consider

Is the platform desktop or web based? Desktop platforms are very limiting because they require the software to be on the computer in order to make changes. In that case, whoever designed the site may be the only one who can do the website maintenance. Web-based platforms are recommended because all you need to make changes is access to the internet.

Will they provide training so you know how to update your site? If they do provide training, what type of training is it (personal, videos, web pages, etc.)?

How easy will it be to update the site?

Will the web design company provide support, and if so, what type of support? Is it only via email or can you call and talk to someone?

Answering these questions will help give your organization a better idea if you can maintain your site by yourself, or if you should consider contracting it out. For more information about this or for information about building a website, please fill out the form below and request a free, no-obligation consultation, today.

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Summary of “The Cost of Building a Website”

If you are going to hire a web design company to create a website for your organization, you will likely have many questions you want to ask them. It is likely one of the biggest questions you have is “How much is this going to cost?” The truth is that the cost of building a website can vary. In this helpful video by Mark Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com, you can learn about the variables that can affect the cost of building a website.

8 Things That Determine the Cost of Building a Website:

1. Consultative vs Cookie Cutter ApproachIf you do not have any input into the design of your site and you are mostly communicating with them via a series of forms, then your web site is likely being created with a cookie cutter approach. This is opposed to the consultative approach, where the designer tailors the site to your needs and specifications. The cookie cutter is cheaper, but you’ll have fewer options and your site will not be as personalized.

2. Content MappingContent mapping basically means listing out the pages that you will have on your site. Some companies will skip this all together, but it is really an important step.

3. DesignIf your design is a pre-made template it will likely cost less than something built from scratch and custom designed for your website.

4. FunctionalityA very basic website that acts as an online brochure will cost less than one with a lot of functionality. You should expect a site that offers online submission forms, a shopping cart or document management to cost more.

5. Content InputIf you can input the content yourself, you will be able to cut costs. A developer will likely charge for their time to input content into your site.

6. TrainingDo they provide training? At OurChurch.Com we offer two levels of training. For our build it yourself site, we offer online pages that will show you step by step how to do things within your site. Those are designed to help keep your costs down. We also provide a more custom approach with in-depth personal training, which cost more but can be a great option for those who need the additional training.

7. SupportIf the web design company provides support, is it only through email, or can you talk to a live person? If you can talk to someone, what are the hours? The level of support provided will likely affect the cost of your site.

8. Hosting/Email/Domain NameThere are a few additional costs involved with a website that you need to consider. Where the site is hosted, if email is provided, and registering the domain names may or may not be included in the cost of your website. Check with your web design company at the start so you know your total costs upfront.

If you’re considering building a site, we’d love to help you achieve your online goals. Please complete the form below for a free consultation and we can help find a website design plan that is right for you and your budget!

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Summary of “How to Choose an Affordable Web Design Company”

If you are ready to create a new website for your organization, you have probably thought about hiring a web design company. Good idea! Now you need to check out this informative video from Mark Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com. In this short video clip, Mark will explain how to choose an affordable web design company.

6 Questions for Choosing an Affordable Web Design Company:

What is their Mission?You want a web design company that understands your organization’s values. If a web design company can’t tell you their mission, it is likely they are just in business to make money. At OurChurch.Com our mission is to help Christians achieve their goals online.

Will they understand your organization?If you are a church, you want a web design company that understands your Christian values. You can trust that we at OurChurch.Com not only understand, but also share, Christian values.

How long have they been in business?A company that has a proven track record and has been in business a while will likely provide you with a better overall experience.

What do others say about them?Check out their online comments or reviews through the Better Business Bureau. You can also ask for references. This will help give you a good idea of their customer service and how previous customers felt about their work.

How responsive are they?If it takes them a while to respond to your sales request, it will likely be a similar response time once you are a customer.

Can I see examples of previous work?This will give you an idea of the type of work they produce. If you do not find anything in their portfolio that looks like something you would want for your organization, this may be a red flag, and you should consider another web design company.

Your website is an investment in your organization and you want a web design company that understands you and will create a website that provides a good return on that investment. If you are looking for a Christian web design company, please complete the form below and let us know how we can help you achieve your online goals!

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Summary of “Important Web Design Questions”

Is your organization, whether church, business, ministry or school, looking to create a website or update an existing site? If so, you do not want to miss this informative video from Mark Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com. In this short video Mark will share the important web design questions that you need to answer before you get started on your website project!

4 Important Web Design Questions:

1. What is the Purpose?Knowing the purpose of your website is going to be extremely helpful when you begin to design your site. You need to have an understanding of how the site be used. For example, will it be used for selling a product, encouraging visitors to come to your church or for visitors to get more information?

2. What are the immediate and long term needs and wants?This is a big question and Mark wisely suggests that you create a spreadsheet with four columns for immediate needs, immediate wants, long term needs and long term wants. This will give you a visual and help you make decisions for you website now and in the future.

3. How can the website work for me?It is a valid concern that creating and maintaining a website will create an increase in someone’s work load. Many times we feel busy enough without adding something else to do! Find ways that the website can help with your current work load. For example, if you send out a newsletter, you could have the website send out an e-newsletter instead. This would cut down on time as well as printing and mailing costs!

4. Who is responsible for maintaining the site?This is important to determine up front, as well as determining how often this person will update the site. If you set these expectations upfront you can minimize some confusion in the future.

OurChurch.Com is committed to helping Christians achieve their goals online. If you have questions or are ready to get started on web design, please contact us by completing the form below.

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Summary of “6 Questions to ask a Web Designer”

Does your organization need to create a website or improve one you already have? You may need to hire a web designer. If so, do not miss this video by Mark Steinbrueck from OurChurch.Com. This video will give you six key questions to ask a web designer before you hire them so you know you are getting the web designer you need!

6 Questions to Ask a Web Designer:

1. Why are they in business?

You want your web designer to share your values. At OurChurch.Com, we a company of Christ followers who are committed to helping Christians achieve their goals online.

2. Are they an individual or a company?

There are some benefits to choosing a company to design your site. A company can provide multiple resources to ensure that your project does not get put on hold.

3. What type of platform and is it transferrable?

Websites can be either built on a desktop computer or be web-based. Desktop means that the software that allows you to make changes to your site must be installed on your computer. It also means that to make changes, you must be on that exact computer. This can be difficult if you have more than one person allowed to make changes to your site.

Web-based platforms are preferable, because they allow you to make changes from any device that has access to the web. Web based platforms can be proprietary, which means that the web hosting company you choose is the only company that can host your site because they are the only ones with that web building software. If you would want to change your web host, you would not be able to take your website with you. A web based platform that is non-proprietary is the best option. This allows you to make changes via the web and also allows you to move your site to a new host, should you ever need to.

4. What else have they developed?

Checking out other sites they have designed will help give you an idea of their work. This might be some of their best jobs and, if you don’t seem to like anything they have designed, it may be a red flag to look for another web designer.

5. What support do they offer?

If you have questions or issues with your site you want to be aware of how they will provide support and when (what hours) they can be reached.

6. Can I see references, please?

Ask for references. The references will likely be their most satisfied customers. However, by talking with references you may get some inside information that will help you make your decision on which web designer to hire.

At OurChurch.Com, we would be happy to answer these six questions for you! Contact us today by completing the form below and let’s get started achieving your online goals!

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Summary of “You Need to Know This Before Hiring a Web Developer Consultant”

Websites are excellent tools for communication and can be a strong asset to any organization or church. If you are considering creating a website for your organization, do not miss this informative video from Mark Steinbrueck with OurChurch.Com. You need to know this before hiring a web developer consultant and Mark will walk you through the information step by step in this short video.

5 things you need to know before hiring a web developer consultant:

1. Who is Your Web Team?Assembling a group of two or more individuals who will be responsible for decisions and maintenance of the site is important for several reasons. First, involving more than one person allows your group to share ideas and gather opinions. It also helps spread out the workload and creates a back-up plan when one person is unavailable. You want this group to have the authority to make decisions regarding the site.

2. What is the Purpose of Your Website?Defining the purpose of your site is extremely important. One key question you will need to answer is “Who will be the target audience of your website?” Websites can be used for internal communication among members of your organization, for external communication to reach those not yet a part of your organization, or more commonly, for both purposes.

3. This is an Investment.Websites are marketing tools and, therefore, can be viewed as an investment rather than an expense. Your website is going to help you attract new business or new members. If the increase in business or visitors creates a value that is greater than the cost of your website, then you have made a good investment.

4. Not All Websites are Equal.Features, functionality, and design of websites can mean different things to different web developers. You need to have a good idea of what you want from your site and be ready to ask detailed questions to be sure your web developer can create the website that will fit your needs.

5. Plan to Measure Effectiveness.Once your site is up and running, people within your organization will want to know “Is our site making a difference?” Before you create your website, you need to decide what markers you will use to determine if your site is effective.

At OurChurch.Com we can help you walk through these decisions. Don’t miss our series of videos on what you need to know before you get started with a new web site. Be sure to contact us by filling out the form below to request a free no-obligation consultation. We’re here to help you meet your goals online!

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Summary of “Best Website Platforms”

What is the best platform for having a website? Some key points are necessary to think about when choosing a website platform. It matters as it can save time and money in the long run to know what the needs are of your website, what programs are out there for a website’s use, and how much support is needed to use these programs. In this video Mark, from OurChurch.Com, gives 5 key points to consider when determining the best website platforms.

Online software vs Desktop software – Will you have access wherever you go to create your site or a program on just one computer that you only or a few people can edit

Proprietary software – If it’s a program/software that, should you decide to leave your current host, you can take the whole site with you, then it will save you time and effort

Ease of use – Search for reviews from previous or current clients on how easy the program is to use

Support for the platform – There are many programs out there and they each have their own way of operation. It’s important that they have a great support system to help you through learning a program.

In conclusion, to decide what the best platform is for your website needs, you will need to decide what you want to do with your website and then what kind of program best fits your situation. There are a lot of competitors and programs out there, just like each person has a different goal or purpose for their website. As long as you know what you are looking for, the task should be a little easier.

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]]>How Long Does It Take to Create a Website?http://www.ourchurch.com/design/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-create-a-website/
Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:00:06 +0000http://www.ourchurch.com/design/articles/?p=239

Summary of “How Long Does It Take to Create a Website?”

When a person has a business or idea and wants to fly with it, they don’t want to wait to get it going. Same thing applies when a person wants a website created for their organization. But, of course, there is always some wait time when creating something new and exciting. There are four primary factors that Mark from OurChurch.Com lists that can determine how long it takes to create a website.

Custom vs Pre-Existing Design – Is the site being built from scratch or are you going to use a pre-designed template?

Number of revisions provided in the design process – Each revision takes time, perhaps up to an additional week, which is added to the completion of the site

Amount of content entered – Is the website going to be relatively small, maybe having 10 or 15 pages or is the site going to be large, needing content installed on dozens of pages?

The developer and client response times – How quickly does the developer respond to questions and requests? Perhaps even more important is how quickly you will respond to questions and requests from the developer.

If a person wants a site to be completed quickly, they need to have the idea all set in their mind, have their content ready to be inputted, and be quick to respond to the web designer when the creation of the site begins. Being well prepared and responsive will make a big difference in how long it takes to create a website.

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